Copyreading and Headline Writing Going beyond the grammar book -MORE-
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Copyreading and Headline Writing Going beyond the grammar book
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Copyreading?
Technical process of correcting and improving an article/*copy with the use of various symbols
Basically, “polishing” an article
Providing of alternative headline
*Can be of any sort of article
Functions of a Copy Reader?
Edit grammatical and spelling errors
Check Facts
Cut/delete irrelevant ideas
Delete “editorializing materials” in news
Guard against libelous statements
Improve news value
Functions of a Copy Reader?
Write Headlines and decide its typography
Make copy simple and clear
Make copy conform to the newspaper Style Sheets
Give instructions to the typesetter re font type and size, no. of columns, and ems
Indicate corrections by using appropriate copyreading marks
Step by step process
1. Read the copy 2. Correct all errors 3. Rewrite lead if possible 4. Provide headline 5. Provide typeset instructions
Tools of a Copyreader
1. Soft lead pencil 2. High quality rubber eraser 3. Scratch paper 4. Strong vocabulary 5. Strong grammar & writing skills
Things to remember!
The spaces between the lines are for writing corrections. Make use of them.
Write Your name and your slug line
End each page with a paragraph. Don’t Cut (a) Paragraph/s and continue on the next page.
Write -MORE- at the bottom of the page of an unfinished story and continue on the next page.
Additional notes:
Do not use the back page of the paper.
End the story with number “30” or “#”
If a paragraph could hardly be read because of too many errors/corrections, rewrite it if time permits.
Use American English, not British English.
If a word has more than one accepted spelling, the shortest one is preferred.
Hunt them down!
The numbers 1 – 9 are written in words while the numbers 10 and above are written in figures.
Example: nine students 13 children
EXCEPTIONS: dates, address: always in
figures. proper nouns: may be written in
figures/words beginning of sentence: always in
words events: 1st – 9th is allowed
Hunt them down!
Spell out Dept., gov’t, and other abbreviations.
The abbreviations Jr. and Sr. are allowed in names.
A title or position of a person may be abbreviated if it appears before the name but not if simply used in the sentence.
abbreviations
Hunt them down!
Spell out Dept., gov’t, and other abbreviations.
The abbreviations Jr. and Sr. are allowed in names.
A title or position of a person may be abbreviated if it appears before the name but not if simply used in the sentence.
abbreviations
Remember: Engr. Emmanuel Delgado Engineer Delgado
12 Dimagiba St. Dimagiba Street
Hunt them down!
Acronyms
When an acronym appears for the first time in a news story, it is written after its meaning and it is enclosed in parentheses.
Ex: University of the Philippines (UP)
Hunt them down!
paragraph The first sentence of a paragraph is indented.
In news stories, the rule is one paragraph, one sentence only.
There should be no names of unknown persons in the lead.
Lead
Hunt them down!
Punctuation: hyphen
Use hyphen:
• in most compound nouns
Ex: editor-in-chief, officer-in-charge
• in fractions
Ex: two-thirds, three-fourths
• (English) in numerals
Ex: twenty-two, fifty-nine
Hunt them down!
(Filipino) Gumamit ng gitling kapag ang isang tanging ngalan ay inuunlapian.
Hal: maka-Estrada
taga-Cabanatuan
pam-Bagong Taon
Punctuation: hyphen
Hunt them down!
(Filipino) Gumamit ng gitling sa pagitan ng unlaping ika- at tambilang o oras.
Hal: Ika-7 ng Agosto
Ika-3:35 ng madaling araw
(Filipino) Sa mga salitang ang kayarian ay inuulit.
Hal: kabi-kabila
Punctuation: hyphen
Hunt them down!
Use a dash between two figures to indicate inclusion of all intervening figures.
Avoid: from Aug. 15 to 30
Better: Aug. 15 — 30
Punctuation: Dash
Hunt them down!
Quotation marks are used in direct quotations. Indirect quotations do not need them.
Ex: “I forgot it,” he said.
He said he forgot it.
Periods and commas are written first before closing quotation marks.
Ex: “Let’s go to SM,” the boy said.
Punctuation: Quotation Marks
More notes!
Mga paalala (Filipino)
Wastong paglalapi ng pandiwa
Mali: Nagdala ang mga bangkay ng mga biktima sa Gospel Memorial Homes.
Wastong gamit ng dito at rito, din at rin, atbp.
Wastong gamit ng sa at kay
Wastong gamit ng ang, si at ni
Wastong gamit ng nang at ng
Copy Editing Marks
Copyreading Symbols
Copyreading Symbols
Copyreading Symbols
Copyreading Symbols
Copyreading Symbols
Copyreading Symbols
Headline Writing
an assemblage of words written in bigger, bolder letters than the usual page text at the beginning of the news
hat is a Headline? W
FUNCTIONS OF HEADLINE
1) to attract readers
2) to tell the story (in a summary)
3) to add variety of type
4) to identify personality of newspaper
5) to index/grade the news
Some pointers!!!
1. First, read the story for general meaning.
2. Clues to the headline are usually in the lead.
• What happened?
• Who did what?
• How did if happen?
3. Use the shortest words possible.
Examples include:
cop – policeman
nab – arrest
mishap – accident
up – increase
down – decrease
thief - robber
Some pointers!!!
4. Have a subject and a verb. Avoid starting with a verb; the headline might sound as if it were giving orders.
Wrong: Revise money mart guidelines
Correct: Central Bank revises money mart guidelines
Some pointers!!!
5. Use the historical present tense if the verb is in the active voice.
Wrong: Reyes topped editorial tilt
Correct: Reyes tops editorial tilt
Some pointers!!!
6. Omit the helping verb if the verb is in the passive voice. Only the past participle is retained.
Wrong: Drug pushers are nabbed
Correct: Drug pushers nabbed
Some pointers!!!
7. Use the infinitive for future events.
Wrong: City Hall will punish anti-squatting drive
Correct: City Hall to punish anti-squatting drive
Some pointers!!!
8. Do not use a period at the end of the headline.
9. Omit articles (a, an, the).
Wrong: A fire hits Tondo slum area
Correct: Fire hits Tondo slum area
Some pointers!!!
Some pointers!!!
10. Use a comma instead of “and” in writing headlines.
Delays, confusion bug Asiad
Lacson, Trillanes no show at SONA
11. Use semicolon to separate sentences.
Gina Lopez heads Pasig body;
Noy swears in 35 other execs
12. Use the punctuation marks (especially the exclamation point) sparingly.
Some pointers!!!
13. Use single quotes (‘) in headlines instead of double quotes (“).
15. Always give the source of a quote. Quotation marks are not necessary, a dash or a colon will serve the purpose.
Crackdown on errant bus firms – Enrile
Enrile: Crackdown on errant bus firms
Some pointers!!!
Some pointers!!!
15. Use the down-style – only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized, unless otherwise indicated. This is more readable because people are used to reading sentences this way.
Ex: Faculty honors Nuñez
Some pointers!!!
16. Use only widely known abbreviations.
Wrong: JEE to play Santa this Christmas
Some pointers!!!
17. Don’t use names unless the person is well known, use common nouns instead.
Wrong: Santos electrocuted
Correct: Carpenter electrocuted
Some pointers!!!
18. Use specific terms instead of generalities
Example: Trader killed
Better: Trader stabbed to death
Some pointers!!!
19. Just report the facts; do not editorialize.
Wrong: Noy gives inspiring talks
(The word “inspiring” is just your opinion.)
20. Be positive. Don't use negatives in headlines. They weaken not only the headlines but also the stories.
• All caps DEPED CANCELS CLASSES IN
ALL LEVELS • Caps and lower case DepEd Cancels Classes In All Levels • Down style DepEd cancels classes in all levels
Headline Styles
• Flush left Binay defends himself on fraud allegations • Hanging indention Binay defends himself against fraud allegations
Headline Styles
• Dropline or step form VP Binay defends himself on fraud allegations • Inverted pyramid Binay defends himself on corruption issues • Crossline/barline Binay defends himself on fraud issues
Headline Styles
• Headline with kicker TO STOP VIOLENCE:
DepEd stregthens policies on child protection
• Headline with deck QNHS welcomes new principal Zaracena bats for holistic development
Headline Styles
Generally, this is how it should look like.
Enrolment ups by 18% (20 units)
1 – number of columns
18 – font size or points
TNR – font or type
B – font style
1 – number of lines
1/18/TNR-B/1 FL/DS
Directions to the printer
Enrolment ups by 18% (20 units)
FL – headline pa6ern
DS – downstyle
(20 units) – unit counts
1/18/TNR-B/1 FL/DS
Directions to the printer
1/11/TNR-N
1 – line spacing 11 – font size or
points
TNR – font or type
N – font style
{ -‐ text to which the direc?on will apply
Directions to the printer
• A count system considers differences in the widths of le6ers.
Capital le:ers:
M, W – 2 units
JLIFT – 1 unit
Others – 1 ½ units
Unit counts: Directions to the printer
Punctua?on marks:
dash (–) – 1 ½ units
ques?on mark (?) – 1 unit
others -‐ ½ unit
Number digits:
0 to 9 – 1 unit
Space – 1 unit
Unit counts: Directions to the printer
BCIS bags medals in NEPPESA quiz bee B C I S b a g s 1 ½ + 1 ½ + 1 + 1 ½ + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1
(11 ½ units)
m e d a l s i n 1 ½ + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + ½ + 1 + 1 (10 units)
Directions to the printer
Unit counts:
BCIS bags medals in NEPPESA quiz bee N E P P E S A 1 ½ + 1 ½ + 1 ½ + 1 ½ + 1 ½ + 1 ½ + 1 ½ + 1
(11 ½ units)
q u i z b e e 1 + 1 + ½ + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1
(7 ½ units) TOTAL = 11 ½ + 10 + 11 ½ + 7 ½ = 40 ½ units
Directions to the printer
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